’So it’s true, people really are different.’

Things had reached this point, and Gao Neng understood that his plan to get Fang Tangtang to join him was going to be quite difficult. Because Fang Tangtang was not short on cash.

"I’m done with the questions. Is there anything else?" Seeing that Gao Neng was silent, Fang Tangtang prepared to close the door.

"Wait, about registering a studio, can you help with that? I mean, if I want to register a studio, do you know a way to get it done immediately?"

"Oh, that’s easy. Normally, it takes at least seven or eight days to register a studio. But who am I? I’m Death God Fang Tangtang! I can get it registered instantly with just one phone call!" As Fang Tangtang said this, a smug look reappeared on her face.

"Then how about you help me register a studio?"

"Sure. Fifty thousand Alliance Coins!"

"Is this a robbery?!"

"Business is business. I, Death God Fang Tangtang, am only charging you fifty thousand Alliance Coins for my connections. You should consider it a bargain." Fang Tangtang tilted her head up proudly.

"Forget it. I won’t ask you." Gao Neng decided to give up.

He wasn’t stupid. Fifty thousand Alliance Coins for a simple registration procedure was out of the question. Worst-case scenario, he could just ask Shen Ning’Er or Shen Fei for help. They probably wouldn’t charge him.

"Wait, are you really starting a studio?" Seeing that Gao Neng was about to leave, Fang Tangtang immediately stopped him.

"Yeah."

"A studio needs an office, and you’ll have to rent a place off-campus. Aren’t we about to head to the battlefield? Why are you starting a studio now?" Fang Tangtang was a little curious.

"It’s precisely because we’re going to the battlefield that I need to open a studio. So I can make some weapons, armor, and equipment for myself." Of course, Gao Neng couldn’t tell her the truth.

"You know how to make weapons and armor?"

"Of course. Why else do you think I’m always running over to the Manufacturing Academy?" Gao Neng nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then can you make an Electromagnetic Cannon?"

"I can."

"Hahaha... Gao Neng, you’re full of it! My Electromagnetic Cannon, Death God Fang Tangtang’s, is worth fifty million Alliance Coins. You think you can make one?"

"Believe it or not!"

"You can really make an Electromagnetic Cannon?"

"Of course!"

"You said it. So, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet? What do you want to bet?"

"Let’s bet all your Merit Points. If you can build an Electromagnetic Cannon, I’ll find investors for your studio. How about it?"

"For real?"

"Of course, it’s real! My word, Death God Fang Tangtang’s word, is my bond!" Fang Tangtang said, patting her flat chest.

"But I remember you said the cost of one Electromagnetic Cannon is fifty million Alliance Coins... I don’t have that right now, so what do I do?" Gao Neng thought of a new problem.

"That’s simple. I have it! I have all the manufacturing materials. I can lend them to you, interest-free. But if you fail to build it, you’ll owe me fifty million Alliance Coins, and you’ll have to give me all of your Merit Points, no questions asked. So, what do you say? Do you dare to take the bet?"

"Fang Tangtang, you’ve got a pretty dark heart!" Gao Neng finally understood. This couldn’t even be called loan-sharking; it was blatant robbery.

"’There’s no business without some shrewdness.’ That’s what my grandpa taught me." Fang Tangtang grinned. "Didn’t you say you could make it? Then what’s there to worry about?"

"Fine, it’s a bet! But I have one condition."

"Name it."

"If I can build the Electromagnetic Cannon, you have to get my studio valued at over one hundred million. Meaning, you must make an additional investment based on a one-hundred-million valuation for my studio. How about it?" Gao Neng stated his condition. There was no need to keep this system quest a secret.

"An additional investment based on a one-hundred-million valuation?" Fang Tangtang’s brow furrowed slightly as her eyes scanned Gao Neng from head to toe.

One hundred million wasn’t a huge amount for her, but for a studio with only one worker, it was definitely an extraordinarily high valuation.

’Can Gao Neng actually build it?’

’If he can’t... then I’ll make a killing!’

’But what if he succeeds?’

’If he does succeed...’

’A studio that can build an Electromagnetic Cannon... a valuation of one hundred million doesn’t seem that excessive, does it?’

"Fine. It’s as you say. As long as you can build an Electromagnetic Cannon, I’ll have someone make an additional investment in your studio based on a one-hundred-million valuation!" Fang Tangtang agreed after a moment of thought.

"Then let’s start now?" Gao Neng’s eyes lit up.

"Now? It’s too late... Let’s talk tomorrow! Besides, I don’t have the materials for the Electromagnetic Cannon on me right now. I’ll call you tomorrow morning. That’s it, bye-bye!"

BANG!

The door slammed shut again.

Gao Neng was helpless, but what Fang Tangtang said was true. It was almost nighttime. Where would he get the materials to build an Electromagnetic Cannon now?

...

「The next morning, at six-thirty.」

Gao Neng got out of bed, washed up, and made two breakfasts. Then, he headed straight upstairs.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

He knocked for a full fifteen minutes.

Only then did Fang Tangtang, rubbing her sleepy eyes and wearing green frog pajamas, open the door. However, upon seeing the breakfast in Gao Neng’s hands, she let him into the room.

By the time Fang Tangtang had lazily washed up and eaten breakfast, it was already eight o’clock.

And that was only because Gao Neng had been relentlessly rushing her.

After that, Fang Tangtang led Gao Neng straight to the school gate.

It was then that Gao Neng noticed a familiar black hover car parked at the gate, and standing beside it was an old man in a Tang suit.

This was the second time Gao Neng had seen this old man.

The first was on the day Fang Tangtang came to register at the military academy.

"Tangtang, this must be the captain of your Invincible Team, Gao Neng?" The old man in the Tang suit smiled warmly upon seeing Gao Neng.

"Mhm, is everything ready?" Fang Tangtang tilted her head up.

"All ready. Get in the car." After speaking, the old man in the Tang suit opened the back door, gesturing for Gao Neng and Fang Tangtang to sit in the rear.

He, in turn, got into the front passenger seat.

A middle-aged man was driving, and he didn’t say or ask much throughout the journey.

As for the old man in the Tang suit, he introduced himself. "Guan San," an easy-to-remember name. He was a butler for the Fang Family.

Once in the car, Fang Tangtang propped up her legs, pulled out the snacks that had been prepared, and started munching away, fully embracing her foodie nature.

Gao Neng also casually ate a little.

Then, he looked out the window.

It was his first time in a hover car, so he was still a bit curious.

The hover car traveled above the normal road surface, but not too high—about ten meters off the ground.

The last time Gao Neng had come, it was already night, so he hadn’t gotten a clear view of the route. This time, he finally got a real look at the City of Hope’s appearance.

A newly built metropolis.

There were Public Security Bureau officers patrolling everywhere.

It looked like there was a... pursuit?

Huh?!

There really was a pursuit.

From the hover car, Gao Neng could see it clearly. A girl with short, silver hair was sprinting down the street, and behind her were three or four Public Security Bureau officers.

"Stop!"

"Report, report... a suspicious girl without an ID card has been spotted. Silver hair, blue eyes. She’s in the East Thirteenth District. The target is very fast, requesting backup!"

"..."

"Silver hair, blue eyes?" Gao Neng opened the window, just in time to hear the voice from below. His gaze immediately fell on the sprinting girl.

Just then, the girl leaped up, landing on the roof of a house less than three meters away from Gao Neng.

Gao Neng got a clear look at her.

She had a head of short, silver-white hair, a pair of deep blue pupils, and a snow-white miniskirt. A faint smile, however, played on her lips.

She didn’t look the least bit nervous.

Most importantly, Gao Neng realized the girl was also looking right at him. Those deep blue pupils gave him an extremely familiar feeling.

"If Mom hadn’t told me not to hurt humans, I could kill a hundred of these scumbags!" the girl seemed to mutter to herself.

Gao Neng’s expression changed slightly.

It was the first time he had seen this girl, but for some unknown reason, he sensed a familiar aura from her.

Just as he was thinking, the girl had already darted swiftly into a small alley.

The hover car continued forward.

The distance between them gradually increased.

Soon, Gao Neng could no longer see any trace of the girl.

"Gao Neng, what are you looking at?" Fang Tangtang poked her head over.

"Catching a fugitive? I think they said she didn’t have an ID card." Gao Neng thought for a moment before replying, but he couldn’t shake a strange feeling in his heart.

"Then she’s a spy. Some of the alien races look very similar to humans. They alter their appearance to infiltrate the City of Hope and gather intelligence. It’s a very common thing."

"Alien races?"

"Mhm. But generally speaking, the alien spies who sneak into the City of Hope aren’t too powerful. It’s hard for the strong to conceal their auras, and if they’re exposed, they’ll certainly die. But it’s relatively better for the weak. Their auras aren’t strong, making it hard to find them in a crowd. And even if they are exposed and killed, it’s not considered a big deal."

"So that’s how it is." Gao Neng nodded, understanding a little better now. The weaker ones could blend in with ordinary people, making it easier to gather intelligence.

...

「Half an hour later.」

The hover car came to a stop.

Guan San was the first to get out of the passenger seat. Then, he opened the back door and gave Gao Neng a smiling nod.

Gao Neng got out of the car and saw a giant "monster" standing before him.

It was an enormous, octopus-like structure. At its center was a massive circular building, from which eight metal-built corridors extended. Each corridor connected to a smaller circular building, creating a truly extravagant sight.

’Celestial King Group?’

Gao Neng’s gaze fell on the three large golden words at the very top, and he felt a little shaken.

"My family has twenty manufacturing plants like this one, corresponding to twenty military districts of various sizes. This is the oldest one. It’s actually built pretty ordinarily, but my grandpa likes it here," Fang Tangtang said casually.

"..." Gao Neng was speechless.

Damn!